I don't know Mike, I think BP may do fine this time. It is all about securing fair terms with the Russian government. During 90s many Western companies took advantage of weak political environment in Russia and secured lucrative deals there, which were to a great advantage to these companies, and not to the people of Russia. But I guess time will tell, so let's wait and see what happens.

To paraphrase the Head of General Motors: Is "what's good for BP is also good for Great Britain"?

As for BP's business ventures with Rosnieft, they (BP) will most probably end up (at an appropriate moment) like Shell's operations in the Russian Far East: shut down "for environmental reasons" and confiscated! Short sighted greed driving BP management will blow up in their faces, just like with their Gulf of Mexico drillings.....

Dido the curious writes: "Foreign media reported that one of his ships, the Eclipse, is the world's longest motor yacht at 162.5 meters, and the other is the 115-meter long Pelorus. But these are not listed as his assets." ----- True, but if he is leasing these items you have listed, he doesn't have to report them as assets, since they do not belong to him, he just expenses lease payments, which is legit according to IFRS and US GAAP. Accounting 101.

Looks like Sergei Lavrov's agenda for discussions with his British counterparts is expanding not by the day but by the hour. Take, for example, the implications for bilateral taxation issues of the newly released "official" declaration of Roman Abramovich assets. Here are the main assets owned by the Russian billionaire:

Nine mansions in four countries, seven apartments and shares in seven companies, but no yachts and no airplanes.

The declaration, published earlier this week, also says Abramovich holds $115 million in cash in 22 bank accounts, which earned him interest payments of $4.9 million. OK, so which countries get the benefits of his business and personal taxes ?

Let's recall that his total wealth was estimated at $17.1 billion by Finans magazine. Foreign media reported that one of his ships, the Eclipse, is the world's longest motor yacht at 162.5 meters, and the other is the 115-meter long Pelorus. But these are not listed as his assets.

He was using a Boeing 767 wide-body liner and a number of helicopters for business and personal travel. His list shows seven cars, including two BMWs and one Mercedes limousine.

Blake writes: "Egyptians as a people more courageous and independent than Russians who just seem to soak all the imprisoning of rightful advocates of rights like Magnitsky?" ----- Perhaps Russian people realize that there is no better alternative out there for now? Nemtsov has close ties with West, which doesn't work in the best of interest of Russia.

Blake, Russia is not Egypt, the political situation is quiet different. You also miss the outcome of Egypt's situation - a military now rules the Egypt, dismissing Parliament and Constitution, I guess that doesn't bother you much.

And what Putin's income has to do with this article, seriously?

Kuzmich, you were right, the article about judge's assistant just appeared on the pages of Economist.

A topic that should be raised with Lavrov at any UK press conference is the decision by a Moscow court dismissing the libel suit of Russian opposition leaders Boris Nemtsov, Vladimir Ryzhkov and Vladimir Milov that was filed against Vladimir Putin. In a TV interview, Putin alleged that Nemtsov, Ryzhkov, and Milov had stolen billions of rubles while employed by the state in the 1990s. Putin added that they plan to steal even more in the event they come to power. Putin’s representative argued that the phrase was an opinion and not a statement of facts.

The conclusion is obvious: you and I can publicly call Putin or Medvedev a thief, a rapist, a killer, anything you want, - as long as we claim it's only an opinion. This is Russian justice, don't forget Putin may reverse the court's opinion.

Boy, talk about being possibly well-paid and awarded for ruling Russia. There is no way David Cameron could somehow, whilst working as PM of Britain, be able to clandestinely get a nice almost one billion dollar vacation palace! as appears the Great Czar Putin has been able to do according this report from the Daily Telegraph. Cameron has to report income by law in UK. Well, Putin reports annual income of 80,000 pounds ! Well then who owns all those Russian palaces, specifically ones like this?http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/8323981/Vladimir...

What is the salary for being PM of Russia, and who ultimately decides remuneration? **************

The funny thing is that many Russians, instead of condemning or investigating Putin, will instead consider a criticism of Putin to be a criticism of Russia itself. Millions of common Russians will continue to wallow in a corrupt, incompetent, unaccountable Russian state ruled by Putin and will sooner attack the Brits than to actually look at the Kremlin itself and see how the Czar lives off his slavishly loyal subjects it seems.

Like Didomyk says, ban Putin's clique from the West. All the kids of the Putin clique rulers probably get to send their kids to the best schools in the West, while the serfs left in Russia will defend the very same Putin to the hilt while their kids' futures look increasingly bad.

Egyptians could finally attempt to break with a similar corrupt autocrat who used the secret police to amass a fortune. Where is Russian resilience in standing up to Russia's Mubarak who clamps down on the free press and right of assembly as well? Are Egyptians as a people more courageous and independent than Russians who just seem to soak all the imprisoning of rightful advocates of rights like Magnitsky? Instead of facing these issues, Russians look for scapegoats in the West. The Egyptian autocrat tried this too, but the people knew it was the autocrat himself responsible.

Autocrats like Mubarak and Putin rule by fear and by artificially-created support with beautiful uncritical state news. Mubarak's end has come. Putin's? Well many Russians love their czar no matter how hard he treats them. How many millions of Russians didn't cry at Stalin's funeral in 1953? Their grandchildren still posses some of that same mentality.

Looks like a mojor topic of Lavrov's mission to London may well be concern over "overpopulation" of super-rich Russians given that the number of Russia's billionaires reached 114 last year, eclipsing the record 101 total reached three years ago. Thus more Russian capital must find its way into the secure British banking system. There is no way one should risk major capital by keeping it in highly vulnerable Russian banks.

The wealth of the country’s 10 richest people increased 30 percent to $139 billion, the Moscow-based weekly Finans said in a statement. However, this represents a major decline from the record $221 billion estimated wealth for the top 10 Russian oligarhs in 2008.

Regrettably, Roman Abramovich, owner of London’s Chelsea football club, is no longer among the top three for the first time in the magazine’s ranking.

Now, anyone who wants to be listed among the top 500 rich Russians would need a minimum of $160 million to make this years list. Looks like Yuri Luzhkov and his friend Vlad Putin have nothing to worry about.

Reading your post let us assume that the British would follow your advice on all sorts of restrictions then the UK will be deprived of free ride lucrative revenues. However, Brits need to improve their crisis-stricken financial system and these many quid don’t grow on trees. They have to clip coupons and rich Russians give them a good chance.

I wonder if you heard or read the news that a Danilkin judge assistant Natalia Vasilieva in her interview stated Judge Danilkin was not the author of the sentence to Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev. According to her, the verdict was written by judges of the upper Moscow City Court, and imposed on Danilkin against his will and Danilkin was directed by the judges of the upper court. That interview caused a big stir. The interview was given to Gazeta.ru and shown on Ren TV channel. Hope this is good material for later discussion on the Economist. You can read a news story on:

Since the Economist recommends that Britain should ".. impose similar restrictions for those who were involved in the second, farcical, trial of the jailed oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky", it would be logical then to impose at least a ten year moratorium on Putin's visits to Great Britain.

Another meaningful step would be to ban money laundering in the UK of any funds belonging to the prominent Moscow business couple who managed to make a billion or two while HE (Yuri Luzhkov) 'served' as Moscow's mayor and SHE (his talented wife) as Moscow's chief building contractor.